No general election for AKB48 this year

Mega idol group AKB48 announced on their blog March 13 that there will be no general election—commonly referred to as Senbatsu— this year. The election is held to determine which member will serve as the center for an upcoming single. In the blog post there is no mention as to why there won’t be an election this year, unfortunately.

Last year Jurina Matsui was the winner of the Senbatsu (which was also the tenth election). Matsui was to serve as the center for last year's “Sentimental Train” single; however, a week after she won she went on medical leave and instead of holding the release of the single, production moved forward without her. The music video was made with Matsui absent but was later edited with her inclusion after she returned.

The latest single “Jiwaru Days” is Rino Sashihara’s graduation song. Rino Sashihara is a three-time election winner.